Electric lamp with flat terminal member



May 12, 1959 T. L. c. VAN GEEL 2,336,629,

ELECTRIC LAMP WITH FLAT TERMINAL MEMBER 6a 1 F I G IONVENTOR F. 8 THEODORUS LEONARDUS FGRKUS VAEN e E1. THOMAS HOLME BY z ,W

AGENT United States Patent ELECTRIC LAMP WITH FLAT TERMINAL MEMBER Theodorus Leonardus Cornelis van Geel and Thomas Holmes, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignors, by mesne assignments, to North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 11, 1956, Serial No. 597,219

Claims priority, application Netherlands July 19, 1955 5 Claims. (Cl. 174-5052) Electric discharge tubes havig a bulb from the two ends of which, through flat pinches situated outside the bulb, the terminal wires are brought out and secured to currentsupply members, are known. Such a current-supply member shows two parts which are situated one on each side of the flat sides of the pinch. In this known lamp, the current-supply member is attached to the pinch by means of a tag which is soldered to the terminal wire and is bent to engage the pinch while it is secured to the two parts of the current-supply member proper by soldering. Neglecting the fact that this construction is comparatively complicated, it has a disadvantage in that the forces. which are exerted on said tube, when it is inserted in or taken from an associated holder, act substantially directly on the pinch, so that this is readily damaged.

It is an object of the present invention to mitigate this disadvantage.

According to the invention, an incandescent electric lamp or electric discharge tube having a bulb from which at least one point at least one terminal wire is brought out through a flattened pinch, preferably a flat pinch which is situated outside the bulb, the terminal wire or wires being secured to a current-supply member comprise two parts situated one on each side of the flattened sides of the pinch. This current-supply member is provided with an aperture through which the flattened pinch is passed, moreover, the current-supply member bears upon shoulders provided on the lamp-vessel at a point situated between the junction of the bulb and the pinch and the end of the pinch remote from the bulb and is drawn against these shoulders by means of an attachment which connects the two parts of the current-supply members together at a point situated outside the pinch.

Thus, a very simple and readily mounted current-supply member is obtained which shows the advantage that the mechanical forces which this current-supply member exerts upon the lamp or tube are substantially completely concentrated on the strongest parts of the pinch, more particularly on the end-face of the pinch remote from the bulb and on the shoulders provided on the pinch or adjacent the pinch. As will be described hereinafter, the invention enables the length of the lamp or tube together with the current supply members to be adjusted accurately due to a special construction of these members.

This adjustment is enabled more particularly by an embodiment of the lamp or tube in accordance with the invention in which the current supply member is a metal plate folded in two. If, according to a further embodiment of the lamp or tube constructed in accordance with the invention, the corners situated adjacent the fold-line are pinched together, a proper choice of the length of the pinched part of these corners permits of adjusting the length of the lamp or tube together with the currentsupply members to a predetermined value.

Preferably the means of attaching the two parts of the current-supply member are a flanged eyelet. This eyelet can also be used to secure the object concerned to the associated holders which are provided with pins.

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The shoulders on which the current-supply member bears may be shaped into various forms without departing from the scope of the present invention. When the largest transverse dimension of the flat or flattened pinch exceeds the transverse dimension of the bulb-part adjacent the pinch, the ends of the pinch nearer the bulb can act as the shoulders.

As has been mentioned hereinbefore, the invention may be used not only in lamps or tubes, in which a currentsupply member is provided at one end only of the bulb, but also in tubes or lamps provided with such a currentsupply member at both ends of the bulb. In mounting, it will be generally preferred to move the current-supply member into its final position on the lamp or tube by the shortest possible path. In order to enable the shoulders, which are provided on or adjacent the pinch and from which the current-supply member is to be supported in its final position, to be passed, a further embodiment of the lamp or tube shows the feature that the aperture provided in the current-supply member has a non-circular inner circumference such that, when it has been moved beyond the shoulders and has been rotated about the longitudinal axis of the pinch, the narrowest part of the inner circumference is arrested behind the shoulders.

When a pinch of the lamp or tube in accordance with the invention contains two or more terminal wires, steps must be taken to ensure that each of these terminal wires is accommodated in the current-supply member, which comprises two parts, and is brought out so as to be insulated from the other wire or wires. According to a further embodiment of the invention, this can be ensured in that the parts of the current-supply member which extend beyond the end-face of the pinch carry at least one further current-supply member with the interposition of a body made from insulating material, each further current-supply member being electrically connected to one of the further terminal wires.

In order that the invention may readily be put into effect, some embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a first embodiment of a lamp in accordance with the invention, the pinch shown on the left-hand side of the figure not being provided with a current supply member in contradistinction to the pinch shown on the right-hand side of the figure.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the pinch and current-supply member shown on the right-hand :side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation in the direction of the arrows III of the lamp shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the current-supply member used in Fig. 1 before folding.

Fig. 5 is an alternative embodiment of such a currentsupply member.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 show further embodiments of a lamp vessel which is provided with shoulders shaped in a form diflerent from that of the shoulders of the lamp shown in Figures 1 to 4.

In the lamp, of which a plan view is shown in Fig. 9 and a side view in Fig. 10, two terminal wires are provided in the pinch, each wire being connected to a separate current-supply member.

With respect to the lamp shown in Figures 1 to 4 the following should be noted:

The lamp shown in these figures is an incandescent lamp, a filament 2 extending in the direction of length of a bulb 1. The ends of this filament are secured to terminal wires 3 and 4 which, by way of sealing-in plates 7 and 8 arranged in pinches 5 and 6, are connected to terminal wires 9 and 10 which project beyond the lamp-vessel. In this embodiment, the pinches 5 and 6 are flat and their width exceeds the'outer diameter of the bulb; the width of the pinch is designated a, the diameter of the bulb is designated b. As a result, at the junction of the pinch and the bulb shoulders 11, 12, 13 and 14 are produced.

In this embodiment, as a current-supply member use is made of a sheet-metal plate 20 which is shown developed in Fig. 4. The plate has an aperture 21 the inner circumference of which is non-circular. This inner circumference substantially comprises the circularly curved portions AB-C and DEF, which portions lie on a circle having a radius which is slightly larger than one half of the diameter b of the bulb vessel 1. The transitions between the points C and D and F and A, respectively, of the circumference of the aperture are constituted by the broken lines CGHD and F-J-K-A. These line portions are spaced away from each other by a distance such that the distance between the lines KJ and GH which is designated d exceeds the width a of the pinch. In addition, the distance between the lines K--A and CG on the one hand and JF and DH on the other, which distance is desig nated e, exceeds the thickness 1 of the pinches 5 and 6.

Such a current-supply member can be moved onto the v associated pinch by so arranging the non-circular aperture 21 of the plate 20 in front of the end of the pinch 6 remote from the bulb 1 that the largest transverse dimension of the pinch fits within the widest part of the aperture. Then this plate is moved to the left in the direction of the arrow P shown in Fig. 1 through a distance g. When the plate has reached the end of this path, that is to say when it has passed a point T which indicates the end of the pinch-part extending beyond the bulb, the plate is freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the pinch, for the projections 22 and 23 have become disengaged from the edges 24 and 25 of the pinch 6. Now the plate is rotated until the imaginary line portions BL and E--M on the plate are opposite the shoulders 13 and 14 of the pinch. Then the plate is folded in two along these line portions. One half 20a of the plate engages the upper side of the pinch 6 and the other half 20b engages its lower side. The current-supply wire 10 is now situated between these halves and is secured thereto by means of a spot-weld connection designated 26 in Fig. 1. Although the two halves 20a and 20b of the plate can be secured to one another by providing one half with a few tags which are bent over the opposed edge portions of the other half, in the embodiment shown the two halves are connected together by a separate flanged sleeve 27. Furthermore the two parts are pressed together along the end face 28 of the pinch. The pinch '5 has a currentsupply member attached to it in a similar manner. The lamp is now complete, however, the length of the lamp together with the current-supply members is not determined, since there is a certain amount of clearance between each of the shoulders and the fold line of the associated current-supply member. Thus, there is an amount of clearance of value p between the point T of the shoulders 13 and the fold line BL of the currentsupply member.

The length of the lamp can be adjusted as follows:

The flanged sleeves provided at either end of the lamp, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1, are moved over pins which are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The determined length of the lamp together with the current-supply members which is thus obtained is fixed in that the corners 29 and 30 of the currentsupply member 20 and the corresponding corners of the current-supply member provided the pinch 5, which corners are situated adjacent the fold-line of the plate, are pinched together through a greater or lesser distance. Thus, it is ensured that the current-supply member 20 engages the shoulders 13 and 14 through the line portions N--Q and RS respectively. If the lamp shown in Fig. 1 were an incandescent 4 lamp having only one pinch, through which consequently two terminal wires should have to be brought out, and if the diameter of the bulb of this lamp throughout its length should not exceed the diameter b shown in Fig. 1, use might be made of a current-supply member of the kind shown in Fig. 4, in which, however, the aperture 21 might have a circular inner cicumference with a diameter of value 2 c. The projections 22 and 23 would be unnecessary, since such a current-supply member might be moved over the bulb from the end of this bulb remote from the pinch.

It will be obvious that the inner circumference of the aperture 21 shown in Fig. 4 is to be regarded as a minimum value; this aperture might also be shaped into the form which is shown by dashed lines and designated B--GH-E-JKB.

Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of a currentsupply member, in which two tags 41 and 42 made of sheet material are secured by soldering to a circular wire ring 40. This embodiment is particularly suited for use with an incandescent lamp of the kind described above having a single pinch, the cross-section of the pinch exceeding the diameter of the bulb which through: out the length of the bulb is smaller than the inner diameter j of the annular part of the current-supply member shown in Fig. 5. Figures 6, 7 and 8 show alternative embodiments of the shoulders required for securing the current-supply member.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 the diameter b of the bulk 43 is equal to the width k of the pinch 44, which adjacent the bulb 43 is provided with a constriction so that shoulders 45 and 46 are produced.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7 also the diameter b of the bulb 43 is equal to the width k of the pinch 44, however, the constriction is situated nearer the endface 47 of the pinch 44, so that shoulders 48 and 49 are produced. I

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8 the bulb vessel 50 having a diameter b terminates in a gradually widen ing pinch 51, so that shoulders 52 and 53 are produced which serve as engaging surfaces for the corners 54 and 55 of the current-supply member 56 which have been closed by pinching.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10 the bulb-vessel 57 and the pinch 58 are shaped into a form similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 4, however, two terminal Wires 59 and 60 are brought out through the pinch 58, one of the wires being electrically connected to an auxiliary electrode 61, while the other is electrically connected to a main electrode 62. In this embodiment, the two halves 63a and 63b of the current-supply member are not pressed together beyond the end 64 of the pinch 58 remote from the bulb-vessel 57, but they enclose a flat member 65 made of insulating material. This insulating member is provided with a duct 66 which contains the end of the terminal wire 59 extending beyond the pinch and opens into an aperture in which, in mounting, a flanged sleeve 67 is arranged. In addition, the member 65 contains a second duct 68 in which the end of the terminal wire 60 extending beyond the pinch is accommodated and which opens into an aperture in Which, in mounting, a second flanged tube 69 is arranged. These two flanged sleeves act to connect the auxiliary electrode 61 and the main electrode 62 to suitable voltage supplies.

Obviously, the member made of insulating material may also project beyond the current-supply member laterally and have the contact member provided at these points. If required, the member from insulating material may be made of two longitudinal halves, the current-supply wires being arranged in the joint, preferably in suitable ducts. Alternatively, this member of insulating material may; be produced by surrounding one or both of the current-conductors with one or two sleeves made of insulating material.

It will be obvious that, when three or more terminal wires have to be brought out through a pinch, without departing from the scope of the invention, a current-supply member may be produced which, with the use of insulating material, shows the same advantages as have been described hereinbefore.

The current-supply member in accordance with the invention can also be used when the pinch is not completely flat but has flattened boundary surfaces.

Preferably, the terminals which are used to receive a lamp or tube in accordance with the present invention are so designed that they come into contact only with the part of such a current-supply member which extends beyond the pinch.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric incandescent lamp or discharge tube comprising a bulb, and a flat pinch at least at one end of said bulb, having shoulder elements adjacent to said bulb, a filament in said bulb, a terminal wire secured to said filament, a current supply member, said current supply member being a folded metal plate with the ends thereof secured together and having an aperture in the folded portion through which said flat pinch passes, said current supply member substantially enclosing the pinch and engaging said shoulder elements on either side of the aperture, and means securing said current supply member to said terminal wire.

2. An electric incandescent lamp or discharge tube as 6 claimed in claim 1 wherein said folded metal plate has corners adjacent the fold line pinched together.

3. An electric incandescent lamp or discharge tube as claimed in claim 1 wherein the largest width dimension of said flattened pinch exceeds the cross-sectional width of said bulb.

4. An electric incandescent lamp or discharge tube as claimed in claim 1 wherein said aperture in the current supply member has a non-circular periphery whereby when said current supply member is moved over said flattened pinch and beyond said shoulder elements and then rotated about the longitudinal axis of the flattened pinch the opposite surfaces of the non-circular inner periphery which have the shortest distances therebetween are locked behind said shoulder elements.

5. An electric incandescent larnp or discharge tube comprising a bulb, a fiat pinch at least at one end of said bulb having shoulder elements adjacent to said bulb, a filament in said bulb, a terminal wire secured to said filament, a current supply member, said current supply member being a folded conductive plate with the ends thereof secured together and having an aperture in the folded portion through which said flat pinch passes, a flanged eyelet for securing the two folded over sections of said metal plate, said current supply member substantially enclosing the pinch and engaging said shoulder elements on either side of the aperture, and means securing said current supply member to said terminal wire.

No references cited. 

